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CNN's 10 must-visit places in Dubai -- and what to do there. Dubai Frame: Offering one of the city's best views, the Dubai Frame has welcomed one million visitors since it opened in January 2018, according to state media. Situated in Zabeel Park with views of skyscrapers lining the Sheikh Zayed Road, the gardens also host a number of events.
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Dubai Frame: Look across and you'll see the Burj Khalifa, but look down and you might catch a glimpse of the Dubai Flea Market, which hosts second hand sales in Zabeel Park on the first weekend of the month.
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Dubai Miracle Garden: Dubai Miracle Garden is certainly the most floral spot in the city between mid-November and mid-May, when the 72,000-meter square site is in bloom with 150 million flowers. Attractions include the world's largest flower arrangement, a sculpture in the shape of an Airbus A380 airplane.
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Dubai Miracle Garden: Continuing the colorful theme, on the other side of the highway from the Miracle Garden is the Dubai Autodrome, home to 24 hour motor races, karting and, on one day every year, the Color Run. Dubbed the "happiest 5K on the planet," the global fun run series first came to Dubai in 2013 and takes place in November. Runners start off dressed in white and end covered in colored powder.
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Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve: Covering 87 square miles, the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve is a place of quiet solitude away from the city, with rolling sand dunes and rare flora and fauna.
Courtesy Platinum Heritage
Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve: There's a number of ways to navigate the extreme terrain, but one of the funnest has to be on a retro sand safari in old school Land Rovers from the 1950s, a service operated by Platinum Heritage.
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Madinat Jumeirah: Featuring luxury resorts including the Jumeirah Al Qasr, artificial waterways, souks and restaurants, Madinat Jumeirah is a destination with traditional aesthetics and fabulous views of the Burj Al Arab. There's also a two-kilometer private beach.
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Madinat Jumeirah: Leave the private beach and head north past the public beach and you'll find Bu Qtair Restaurant. A low-key gem of a seafood shack dealing in the freshest fish, it has a large local following and was once visited by the late Anthony Bourdain.
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Burj Khalifa: Still the tallest building in the world -- and by a significant margin -- the views from the top of the Burj Khalifa speak for themselves. At the heart of Downtown Dubai, there's no shortage of options nearby, from the Dubai Opera to The Dubai Mall.
Armani Hotel Dubai
Burj Khalifa: But why descend when you can stay in the sky? At.Mosphere on the 122nd floor is a restaurant with lofty ambitions, while further down Armani/Amal (pictured) serves up high-end Indian cuisine with views of the Dubai Fountain.
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The World: The World archipelago (top right), viewed from the International Space Station, is one of the most impressive sights ever engineered in Dubai. For a more up close view you can charter an airplane tour to fly over the islands via Seawings.
The Heart of Europe
The World: If you can afford it, you will soon be able to stay on The World. Developer Kleindienst is building a six-island mega resort called The Heart of Europe, including dozens of Floating Seahorse villas with underwater bedrooms and bathrooms.
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Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood: The Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, (also known as Al Bastakiya) next to the water of Dubai Creek has preserved vernacular architecture dating back to the 19th century. Many of the buildings have open-sided towers which transport cool air down into the rooms below.
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Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood: A short walk west from Al Fahidi is the Dubai Museum. Housed in the Al Fahidi Fort, it's the oldest existing building in Dubai and covers the emirate's history as a maritime trading post and its pearl-diving industry, with some artifacts dating back as far as 3000 BC.
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Palm Jumeirah: Best viewed from the air, the artificial island is a stunning sight. For those feeling brave, Skydive Dubai has a dropzone right next to it. For a more sedate option, there's always a gyrocopter tour.
courtesy Dukes Dubai
Palm Jumeirah: If all that sounds a bit much, you can make the trip to Dukes Dubai, located on the Palm. A hotel with private beach and first class service delivered with a British touch, there's also wonderful views back towards the mainland.
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Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: It takes a brave person to stare down a shark at dinner time -- and you can do exactly that at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. The "Shark Encounter" experience allows you to enter the 10-million liter tank in a diving cage during a feeding frenzy. But if you'd rather stay dry, there's also the 48-meter long aquarium tunnel and glass bottom boats.
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Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: The aquarium is contained within Dubai Mall, which makes it the obvious choice when it comes to what to do nearby. The mall just celebrated its 10th anniversary and contains 1,200 shops and more luxury stores than you can possibly hope to visit in a single day. But if you're going to visit one place, make it the modern Gold Souk for your jewelry wants and needs.
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Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary: For first-time visitors it's an unexpected site, but Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary really is in the middle of the city. The wetlands in the interior of Dubai Creek are the temporary home of thousands of migratory birds including flamingos. There's also gray herons, sandpipers and ospreys to be seen in this patch of rich biodiversity.
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Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary: To the east of the sanctuary, Dubai Creek is under construction, and the new development is set to feature the 3,045ft Dubai Creek Tower and a $2 billion mega-mall. But in the meantime, Dubai Design District to the west hosts a number of events including Fashion Forward (pictured), a biannual four day style bonanza.

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Dubai International Airport welcomed its billionth passenger in December 2018, and in January 2019 it was ranked the busiest airport in the world for international travelers for the fifth year in a row.

Whether on a layover or as a destination, Dubai has a lot to keep you busy, from its artificial islands to desert interior. And there’s plenty to places to update your Instagram and top up your cultural cachet too.

$5 billion Dubai megaresort rises from The World

From the top of the world’s tallest building to the underwater delights of the Arabian Gulf, buckle up as CNN Travel take you on a journey across Dubai from land, sea and air.

Scroll through the gallery above for some of the emirate’s most beautiful sights – and importantly, what to do while you’re there.